The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-05-02
ORGANIZATION NEEDED.

ORGANIZATION NEEDED.
| One of the best effects of the present real
estate "boom" III this city and of the intro
duction Of natural gas will be the wiping off
of the slate and celebrating the remembrance
of past disasters. For good many years past
an ugly record has been staring us in the face,
record of hard times, of bank failures, of
depression of trade and stagnation of real es-
tate. This record has had discouraging eff
feet. 1t has paralyzed public spirit. and in
duced state of almost chronic depression
among business They have held
steadily on their way, and made good fight,
but much Of the time they have felt they were
fighting against big odds. 1t was SO dark
they could hardly believe that daylight would
ever come. In this discouraged frame of
mind they could hardly be expected to talk
encouragingly about the city's prospects.
Perhaps they even helped to give it a bad
name. Anyhow it got a bad name. 1t got
the name of dead city, a whipped city,
cemetery of business. This bad name never
was deserved. but the city got it all the same.
The elements of prosperity were here, but
they were torpid, and the city was so sound
asleep that many thought it dead These con-
ditions were very discouraging Now a change
has come over the situation. The darkness
is gone and daylight has appeared. The
waters have begun to move and the wheels
to turn. The life blood of return
ing health is circulating in the
arteries of trade. Old things
passing away and new conditions are arising.
One of the first and best effects of the revival
will be to clean off the slate, wipe out old
scores, and efface the dsagreeable memories
of the past Instead of brooding over the
past men will look hopefully to the future.
They are doing so already. There is nothing
so effectual to drive out old emotions as
ones. 1t is comparatively easy to forget
where men have strong motive for forget
ting. In this case the motive has come, and
men will soon forget the city's disastrous past
in contemplating the bright future. The
''boom" furnishes new point of departure,
dividing line between the past and the future,
between the old and the new. With this
change of conditions mems feelings will
change. They will look. talk and act differ
ently. They doing already. They see
that, instead of being dead, the city was only
taking long sleep preparatory to entering on
new career. That which some mistook for
perpetual night was only temporary eclipse.
The sun of Indianapolis was shining brightly
all the time behind the clouds. Now it has
reappeared, men will wonder they ever doubted
it would. Under its genial and refreshing
influence business will assume new life and
public spirit will revive. And right here is a
point The mere revival of public spirit is
not enough. To make it effective it must
be organized and put in operation.
All the confidence, hope and public spirit in
the world will do no good if men merely feel
them and sit still. They may make the per-
son happy who feels them, but that is all.
The indianapolis man of the future must not
merely feel he must act, and act promptly,
theoretically and wisely. If the city is to
profit to the full by the revival, and by the
new order of things, there must be organiza
ton and action. To get the benefit of natural
gas there must be organization and action.
We are facing and moving now in the right
direction, but to get the city completely out
of the rut of the past, and place it on high
and solid ground, there must be organization
and action. To reap the benefit of the intro
duction of natural gas, we must have new
manufacturing industries. 1t is not enough
~, AsI,,o y, oI,, b,,; VI
must have new ones. How are they to be Sc
cured9 Only by organization and action.
They will not come without an effort
on our part. They will not gravitate
here nor come on mere polite invitation.
The conditions of modern business forbid any
such idea. Competition nowadays is too
great. Too many cities and towns are bidding
for new industries. True, indianapolis has
great attractions and advantages, but to be
made available they must be advertised and
pressed upon the public. If we are to gather
the fruits the future has in store for us we
must organize and act. We have Board of
Trade; what is it doing, or what does it pro-
pose to do in these new circumstances If it
is not suited to the situation let us have an
organization that is, and if necessary to that
end let US have citizens meeting to discuss
the subject. There ought to be committees
to advertise the city, to enter into correspond
ence with manufacturers and capitalists, and
to do whatever may be done through organ
lied effort to help things along. They are
doing this in other cities and it should be
done here.